US Abusing UN Security Council to Interfere in Iran’s Internal Affairs – Russia

By calling a UN Security Council meeting with the demand to support anti-government protesters in Iran, the US is trying to bend the UNSC mandate, which does not deal with countries’ internal affairs, Russia’s UN envoy has said.

 “We obviously regret the loss of lives as a result of the demonstrations that were not so peaceful. However, let Iran deal with its own problems, especially since this is precisely what’s taking place,” Russia’s envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said, according too RT.

He slammed the US for diverting attention from important international issues the UN Security Council should be addressing.

 “You are dispersing the energy of the Security Council, instead of focusing it on dealing with key crisis situations in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, DPRK, the African continent. Instead of that, you are proposing that we interfere in the internal affairs of a state.”

We don’t want to get involved in destabilizing Iran or any other country.”

He also reminded Washington of its own history of cracking down on protests.

“If we follow your logic, then we should have meetings of the Security Council after the events in Ferguson or after the dispersal by force of the Occupy Wall Street movement in Manhattan.”

In her opening speech, the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, dubbed the ongoing unrest in Iran a “spontaneous expression of fundamental human rights,” claiming the protests were simultaneously playing out in “over 78 locations.”

Attempt to disrupt Iran nuclear deal

The call to support anti-government protesters is another attempt to dismantle the hard-won international nuclear deal struck in 2015, Nebenzia argued.

 “The real reason for convening today’s meaning is not an attempt to protect human rights or promote the interests of the Iranian people, but rather a veiled attempt to seize the current moment to continue to undermine the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). We consider it unacceptable to intentionally undermine the support of the international community JCPOA which is the main achievement of the nuclear nonproliferation in the last few years… Especially in the situation where the IAEA has repeatedly confirmed full compliance by Iran with its obligations.”

“The feeling is that there is some sort of inexplicable allergy to this country and it clouds the thinking about events in this country and leads to wishful thinking,” Nebenzia concluded.

Iran: ‘Violence directed from abroad’

Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Gholamali Khoshroo, reiterated the point that Tehran officials have been underlining as the protests unfolded: The rioters are being influenced from outside the country.

“We have hard evidence of the violence in Iran by a handful of protesters, in some cases resulting in the deaths of policemen and security officers, being very clearly directed from abroad. These violent elements surfaced in the crowd as early as Friday evening last week at the inceptions of the protests. At that point, the elements outside of Iran including instigators based in the United States and Europe began to be visible. Incitement to violence included encouraging and training people to use Molotov cocktails, to seize ammunition parts and to stage an armed uprising.“

No threat to international peace

Several speakers at the Security Council pointed out that the unrest in Iran falls outside the UNSC’s ambit.

The Deputy Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi pointed to the UN charter: “The Iranian situation does not pose any threat on international peace or security, nor is it on the agenda of the Security Council. Discussing this domestic situation in Iran by the Council is a practice that is not in line with the Council’s responsibility as outlined in the UN charter. Doing so does not help resolve the domestic issue of Iran.”

UNSC meeting on Iran directly interferes with Iran’s sovereignty

Earlier today, Russia’s deputy foreign minister slammed the US for calling an emergency UN Security Council meeting following instability in Iran, accusing Washington of fomenting unrest and destabilizing the government.

“The United States continues its policy of open and covert interference into the affairs of other states. Under the guise of concern about human rights and democracy, they shamelessly attack the sovereignty of other nations,” top diplomat Sergey Ryabkov told Russia’s Interfax news agency.

Ryabkov said that Tehran’s remarks that the United States is driving the deadly street demonstrations from abroad were “not unfounded” and added that Washington uses “any means available” to undermine hostile foreign governments.

H.M